QuickTime no longer plays certain MP4 and MOV files

After upgrading from 10.6 Snow Leopard to 10.9 Mavericks, I've noticed that all the MP4 files taken with my Samsung smartphone no longer play in QuickTime (or with Quick Look), whereas they played just fine in Snow Leopard. The MP4 files use the H.264 codec. Some other MP4s I have, which use the same codec, will play in QuickTime and Quick Look. I've also found some older MOV files (using the SVQ-3 codec) that don't play now.
Has anyone else encountered this? Is there any fix, or does it perhaps require an OS update? Since I skipped OS 10.7 and 10.8, I don't know what the situation was there.

You may have better luck in the Quicktime threads.
https://discussions.apple.com/community/mac_os/quicktime
This post by martbr explains the situation well…
https://discussions.apple.com/message/23530041#23530041
Try Quicktime player 7 (it's better if you have a QTPro 7 code)
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL923
It seems to support everything that it did before Mavericks (including Flip4Mac & Perian codecs), what is different is that the OS uses AVFoundation not Quicktime, the former doesn't support additional codecs therefore there is little hope of getting Finder previews for files with unsupported codecs.

Similar Messages

QuickTime no longer plays certain MP4 files

After upgrading from 10.6 Snow Leopard to 10.9 Mavericks, I've noticed that all the MP4 files taken with my Samsung smartphone no longer play in QuickTime (or with Quick Look), whereas they played just fine in Snow Leopard. The MP4 files use the H.264 codec. Some other MP4s I have, which use the same codec, will play in QuickTime and Quick Look. I've also found some older MOV files (using the SVQ-3 codec) that don't play now.
Has anyone else encountered this? Is there any fix, or does it perhaps require an OS update? Since I skipped OS 10.7 and 10.8, I don't know what the situation was there.

Try downloading and using the QuickTime 7 from here: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL923 - it might have some of the older file support still working whereas the QTX does not.

ATV doesn't work with mp4 and mov files

Apple TV doesn't play the mp4 or mov files that are in my iTunes Library.
ATV plays only m4v video.
How can I do?
Thanks,
Lud

Thanks Rudegar and Churchill for your answer and sorry if I answer so late.
I didn't create such files... I only downloded them from internet...
I have tried to convert them with "Any video converter" bought on App Store. If I tried to convert the files in a ATV format the software creates a m4v file, but offen the audio is out of sync...

.mp4 and .mov files are just LARGE

Sorry, without posting all the encoding details, is there an obvious reason why my .mp4 and .mov files are ~10x the size that they should be after AME? I'm talking about files that are 30mb .mp4's before and 300mb.mov afterwards. If you need details I'll post. Thanks.

File size is determined primarily by only two factors - duration and bitrate. The codec used, resolution, frame rate, etc. all have little or no effect on file size.
Duration, and bitrate. If you want a smaller file, one or the other of those has to be reduced.

Quicktime no longer plays my mp4's smoothly since i updated my system, any thoughts ?

I have been enjoying my Gopro Hero and playing mp4's on my Macbook. I updated the book from 10.5.8 to 10.7.5. With the upgrade Quicktime got upgraded to 10.1. All other aspects of the upgrade work fine however mp4s that played smoothly before are now unwatchable as Quicktime will not play them smoothly.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
BTW This is my first time here, i posted this in the wrong section earlier. Sorry.

Before I answer, let me provide a bit of history.
When iMovie was released, it was written in the "C" programming language. It stayed that way through v2.1.2. Then in v3.0 it was re-written in a language called "Cocoa". The result was a product that couldn't be used for more than a few minutes before it crashed or destroyed the video footage it was being used to process. It took several releases before iMovie resurfaced as something to be trusted.
Now Apple has done it again with Quicktime. This time the rewrite was from a collection of languags to "Objective C". And voila; we have "Mavericks" and Quicktime 10.1. And another period of time to avoid Quicktime "upgrades".
Personally I don't use OSX more than 10 hours a year and then for VERY specific tasks that I absolutely can't do in Mac OS 9.2.2. So I have no clever way to give you for reverting. My brute-force approach would be to erase an unused disk and install everything that you had on the original disk on the erased disk before you let auto-update loose on the ill-fated original one.
You might also ask in a forum that is specific to OSX. This forum is actually for the older stuff that was released before X showed up.
Gary

Quicktime no longer plays my mp4's smoothly

I have been enjoying my Gopro Hero and playing mp4's on my Macbook. I updated the book from 10.5.8 to 10.7.5. With the upgrade Quicktime got upgraded to 10.1. All other aspects of the upgrade work fine however mp4s that played smoothly before are now unwatchable as Quicktime will not play them smoothly.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Before I answer, let me provide a bit of history.
When iMovie was released, it was written in the "C" programming language. It stayed that way through v2.1.2. Then in v3.0 it was re-written in a language called "Cocoa". The result was a product that couldn't be used for more than a few minutes before it crashed or destroyed the video footage it was being used to process. It took several releases before iMovie resurfaced as something to be trusted.
Now Apple has done it again with Quicktime. This time the rewrite was from a collection of languags to "Objective C". And voila; we have "Mavericks" and Quicktime 10.1. And another period of time to avoid Quicktime "upgrades".
Personally I don't use OSX more than 10 hours a year and then for VERY specific tasks that I absolutely can't do in Mac OS 9.2.2. So I have no clever way to give you for reverting. My brute-force approach would be to erase an unused disk and install everything that you had on the original disk on the erased disk before you let auto-update loose on the ill-fated original one.
You might also ask in a forum that is specific to OSX. This forum is actually for the older stuff that was released before X showed up.
Gary

I Can't Play .MP4 and .mkv Files Backed up in Time Machine

I backed up My Macbook to an external hard drive in my passport / Time Machine. I am attempting to play both .mp4 and mkv files in quicktime and vlc respectively. They worked when they were on my computer, but I they won't open now. I even tried to copy them to my computer and play them that way. When I click on info, it shows the file size, and it seems normal. I updated both Quicktime and vlc, and it still doesn't work. Please help.

You wrote in your first post:
I even tried to copy them to my computer and play them that way. When I click on info, it shows the file size, and it seems normal.
Then you wrote:
when it restored it, the file size was zero
Which of those statements is true?

Image Capture and MP4 and MOV with iPhoto

Using Image Capture, I tried to transfer pictures and movies (MP4 and MOV) from my iPad 3 to iPhoto on my iMac. Things were looking good, images and movies were transfering fine, iPhoto had opened with all of them in a new event. I was able to play both MP4 and MOV from iPhoto. Then I quit iPhoto and Image Capture and launch iPhoto again and try to play the movies that I just imported, iPhoto says it can't find them. It seems that it can't find them if Image Capture is not running !? Although the pictures are fine. Can somebody help me ? Thanks for the help.

I needed that option off because I want to keep them only on my NAS, so PC users can still accesses them when needed. I didn't want different sources, only on that I know is "the actual source".
Now, I did import them on Images directory using Image Capture and it worked. Then I moved them to my NAS.
But I just realized that the iPad appears in iPhoto and that I can import them into iPhoto directly ! It works fine, meaning that if I disconnect the iPad from the iMac, the movies play just fine. The initial setup was to launch Image Capture when the iPad is connected to the iMac. I disabled it. I plan to use the import from iPhoto instead.
But I still need to keep those pictures and movies on the NAS as well. It means that I will need to export them on the NAS eachtime.
Thanks for your help, it really helped.

HT3775 What software do I need to play an IMG-5139.MOV file?

What addition software to I need to add to QuickTime Player to play an IMG-5139.MOV file? Many thanks. Skersa

Download and install Perian. http://perian.org

M TV not playing my own private movie files

How do I get my movies to Itunes, so I can play them on my Television through MTV?

Sorry, thought this was a MAC support web site. I have a MAC bok pro, Time capsule and apple TV all recently bought and trying to figuere out how ot use them properly. Yes the files are and will be .avi until I figuere out how to convert them to a compatible file as you suggested (.m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats) a third party does nto tell me much, can you please be specific as to how to convert them and then my original question how to put them in Itunes so I can see th movies on my TV through apple TV. Thanks in advance for your kind cooperation and patience in this matter with a neophyte like me. Cheers!

Quicktime 7.2 will no longer play specfic mp4 files

Quicktime 7.2 will no longer play specfic mp4 files that 7.1 and earlier versions play fine, But new mac running 10.4.10 will not let me install earlier version, these files where used and edited fine on similar spec mac running 10.4.9 (both intel)

You did nothing wrong!
Quicktime has never played wmv files natively. You ned to download and install Flip4Mac WMV Player from http://www.telestream.net/flip4mac-wmv/overview.htm (Windows Media Player for the Mac is no longer supported, even by Microsoft)

Hi, I have downloaded some avi files and mov files. i am not getting audio while playing the movie. i tried to play with iTunes, QT, DivX player. but I am getting audio in mp4 files. can u help me to fix this

Hi, I have downloaded some avi files and mov files. i am not getting audio while playing the movie. i tried to play with iTunes, QT, DivX player. but I am getting audio in mp4 files. can u help me to fix this

First, back up all data and then uninstall "DivX" according to the developer's instructions.
Then try this:
VideoLAN - Download official VLC media player for Mac OS X

TS1382 my ipod will not play any format of film i have tried mp4 and .mov and it says this format not supported what is the problem

i have an ipod classic and i have tried to put films on but every format i try it keeps saying thei format not supported i have tried mp4 and .mov and it will not take it anyone got any suggestions on what format to use and the best way to convert films

If these problem videos are already stored in your iTunes library, try using the iTunes built in convert to convert the file to an even friendlier iPod format. To use it, highlight the video in iTunes and choose Advanced -> Create iPod or iPhone version from the drop down menu. When the conversion process has completed, try syncing the new version over to your iPod Classic.
B-rock

How do i change my quicktime player default back to quicktime 7 as my new quicktime won't play certain formats

how do i change my quicktime player default back to quicktime 7 as my new quicktime won't play certain formats

Select one of those files, CMD+I, select QT 7 from the Open With list, and then click the Change All button. Repeat for any in the format class you want to change.

TS1717 i was wonering why is it when i restord my iphone5 from my laptop now when i try to play my music and movie a blog pops up saying (the requested URL was not found on this server)?

I was wondering why when i restored my iphoe5 from my laptop now when I try to play my music and movies a blog pops up saying (the requested URL was not found on this server)?

The problem resolved itself when I resynced the iPod with my computer. I suspect the error displayed when I tried syncing with my laptop and canceled out of it.

QuickTime no longer plays certain MP4 and MOV files

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for